Today Is a New Day

By Juan Felipe Herrera

A poem, an invitation, and a call to be this new day—from the U.S. Poet Laureate to the Santa Clara Class of 2017.

Muchas gracias. Thank you so much. Let’s give a big celebration of applause and voice to our new graduates 2017. [applause] Let’s give a warm, spiritual, heartfelt applause for las familias, the families of our graduates.

[applause]

Thank you so much.

Watch Juan Felipe Herrera deliver the commencement address.

Thank you so much for inviting me, and thank you so much for conferring this degree upon me and these honors. It’s a great blessing. It’s a blessing for my family, for my families, for you, and for all those that walk at the margins and at the center, wanting to do the best they can, the best you can for all the peoples of all colors, of all classes, all views, LGBTQ+, all the people of our planet. I want to say thank you for inspiring me to be the poet, to be the speaker that I’ve come to be. It’s because of you. Muchas gracias.

[applause]

This piece that I wrote for you—I was trying to figure out how to do it, and I talked with my wife, Margarita, who I also want to thank, who writes all my poems, she wants me to tell you, [laughter] and my brothers-in-law, George and Harold, who are here, and nephew Emilio, and my children, grandchildren, all my family, this is for you, and for, most of all, for any graduates. This is called “Today Is a New Day.”

Today

is a new day

you are that

new day!

Today we leave an epoch behind

a grand moment of leaps wonderings and movement

and step into a new time unforeseen now here

Today you are that new time now visible

now prepared now filled with eagerness and hope

you are that hope that wild born vista of new horizons

Today, este día, change comes to you to your doors to this arena

It is bigger than you and yet you’re at its center

you are the blood of this vast new body of change

Yes, you are

What is it? You may say—what will it contain? Qué es?

De qué está hecho? What road must you choose where will it lead?

You do not know we do not know it has arrived

It comes in the shape of audiences rumbling

with questions of resistance with dreams of freedom

hungry thirsty in search of a thing called Peace in search

of Sisterhood

in search of Brotherhood—longing

for humanity

what will you say, what will you say about climate change

what will you say about war upon

war what will you write about unity not just about yourself

or for yourself how many bowls of water will you offer

to those living in fear in fear of deportation

in fear of bullying and bullets in fear of detention

in fear of the forced abandonment of their children

what

will you offer yes

you

to the ocean and skies what will you say as

you grasp the smoke of bombs the smoke of billions

the wings and fish and fins flashing in razor nets down below

today you are dressed in meaning today you

are surrounded with affirmation—from your parents

family teachers friends and neighbors yes

today is that new day—it is your turn now all yours

to walk far to lose yourself in the harvest of fields to

give seeds of meaning to all to gain knowledge

for all to intensify your kindness for all to carry

a satchel of compassion-action for all to ask and to

ask how can I strengthen my effort to save others

to stop exploitation to end misinformation to

bring down the walls with your heart on fire

and mind expanding with tenderness your words

of love of acceptance of inclusion of all peoples

of all beings of all colors detodos colores of all classes of all genders